


So This is Love

by MissGillette



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Frottage, Hylian Sidon, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Verbal Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 11:03:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11229618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGillette/pseuds/MissGillette
Summary: During Link's 23rd birthday party, he sneaks away from would-be suitors and hides in a private garden. There, he stumbles upon an odd Hylian named Sidon who is more than what he seems.





	So This is Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [we_are_all_irrelivant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_all_irrelivant/gifts), [Call_Me_Kiba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Call_Me_Kiba/gifts).



> Hey, so I hit 500 followers and wrote this. No porn! My god lol. I also wrote this to encourage two other writers: [kibamakara](https://kibamakara.tumblr.com) and [princesiddie](https://princesiddie.tumblr.com). If either of you have AO3 accounts, lemme know and I'll gift this shit to you. Keep writing lol. Says the quitter XD
> 
> Wanna make it official? [Follow this](http://missgillette.tumblr.com)

Zelda takes his hand and cuddles up to his shoulder as Link’s pinched expression melts into something overly dramatic and childish. With a little turn of his head, he shoots Zelda a desperate glance that says, “Please shove me off the tallest tower in the castle, sister dearest.” But Zelda just snorts at him and nudges their shoulders together. He’s already sweaty and stuffy in the suit for tonight—a pretty blue to rival his eyes and Hyrule’s sky. The material itches him. And the maid who had helped him dress in tan breeches and matching blue vest and coat had smacked his hands more than a few times. But he must look presentable and appealing for the guests tonight. The ballroom in front of them fills up the longer Link stands here like a grumpy toad. And much like a grumpy toad, he has a tiny grunt ready in response to any encouragement Zelda tries to throw his way. He wills his palm to sweat more so that maybe she’ll release him and let him slip the annoying bonds of his birthright. But probably not. He’d teased her a great deal while she searched for a spouse. This is probably just revenge.

“Happy birthday, little brother.” She smiles pleasantly at him, but Link knows. “Such a big turn out. Of course, some of these people showed up just to be seen. Don’t give them the satisfaction of your attention.”

“I could just leave,” he mumbles, lips barely moving.

Zelda sighs, “Now, you know how much Mother and Father would hate that. It’s really not that bad. Someone out there wants to get to know you, Link. You just have to buck up and find them. Really, you’re being a bit ridiculous about it.”

Link shoots her a sour look, lips pressed into a thin line while the corners tug down.

“Yea, but maybe  **I** don’t want to know them.”

Taking a turn to be dramatic, Zelda rolls her head around with a groan and finally releases his hand. Step one of Link’s escape plan has passed. Now, if only he could slip out of the ballroom and hide in the gardens…

“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re being such a sour puss about this. You’ve known you’ll have to get married since we were teenagers. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“I distinctly remember you hating it just as much as I do right now,” Link says while he rocks his head back and forth, mocking her. He even puts his hands on his hips like her. “‘But Mother, Father, I don’t want to marry anyone. Can’t I just rule Hyrule on my own? I don’t need a spouse!’ Those weren’t your exact words, but—”

“Take this seriously,” Zelda hisses at him. They’ve drawn the eyes of a few guests, who continue to watch them bicker. “I fought against it, and look where I am. Happily married. It’s not the end of the world, Link.”

“I don’t want to marry a stranger.”

Sighing, Zelda rubs a hand on her forehead.

“They won’t be a stranger while you’re going through the courting process. Mother and Father have given us the choice of a spouse, Link. In the past, they would have picked someone for us. Please,” she drops her hand and takes his again, squeezing it. Turning her big, green-blue eyes on him like this isn’t fair. “Just… be pleasant. Smile at people. Talk to them? Even if you dance with just one person tonight, I’d be happy. So would Mother and Father.”

She releases him yet again and steps away. His chance for escape is now, as soon as she turns her back to him. There’s a knife of guilt that stabs at his gut, but Link wills the pain away. He knows his attitude is driving a wedge between himself and his family. But the thought of forever wedding a person who doesn’t know him, doesn’t love him… Link’s stomach twists harder as he wanders away from the ballroom. Before his parents began throwing these ridiculous courting parties, Link had dismissed the idea of marriage as something they’d give up on. He’d resist for a few parties, show that he’s not ready, and they’d put the matter to rest. Not so. He’s 23 today, and his birthday “parties” have been roped into courting parties too since he was 17. They’re insufferable. Too many faces and too many names offering him false niceties in the forms of wishing Link a happy birthday or a happy search for a spouse. It’s all fake, and he hates it.

Link typically bows out once the important, announced guests arrive. The heirs to the other races of Hyrule have already arrived, except the Zora Princess. She’d married one of her people out of mutual love for each other. But according to the invitation sent out to the royals of the Zora, Gerudo, Goron, and Rito, any single children of age were welcome to attend in the eldest’s place. As Link slips outside to a private garden, hopping the little fence to do so, he searches his memory for evidence of another Zora prince or princess… But Zelda is the eldest, the one who travels to other lands and interacts with the other races, forming alliances for her future rule. He’s spent almost every waking day on horseback or roaming Hyrule Fields, avoiding handlers who can never keep him tied down. So he’s not read up much on the royalty of the other races. As Link wanders deeper into the garden, finding a fountain eventually, he holds his head in his hands and groans.

“Oh dear, how did I get into this mess?” A mellow, if worried, voice murmurs nearby. “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have offered my assistance to that young man. Oh, this is terrible…”

Misery loves company, and Link picks his head up at the sound of such distress. The fountain he’d stumbled upon is a huge, circular thing with a stone statue of the Goddess Hylia in the middle. Water pours out of a jar she holds in her arms, spilling into the pool below. Link cranes his head around the goddess to find he’s not alone. The moon is behind the man panicking at his reflection in the fountain. The tips of his fingers pull at his brown cheeks and follow the bridge of his fine nose down to the tip. He looks rather confused about all this, as if he’s never seen himself before. But Link stands there, staring with his jaw hung open a bit like a fool. Maroon suit appearing official and fancy with ruffles of blue and yellow cloth throughout, the Hylian before him is breathtaking. Link has never seen such vibrant, red hair on anyone except a Gerudo. And it’s styled so oddly, with a flop of red hair hanging over the man’s forehead and other locks framing his face. The rest is caught up in a braid that trails down and out of sight. Link has to stare hard to pick up that some of his hair is actually white, all on the lower half of the back of his head. Link also catches sight of terribly sad, gold eyes blinking at the water. The Hylian sighs again and holds a hand to his cheek. There are freckles under those eyes, and Link is staring at them when the man looks up and catches him.

“Oh!” The stranger jumps back, left hand flying over his heart. Link jumps too, although he tries to hide behind the statue. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t think anyone was around.”

Link peeks out from behind the statue and eyes the Hylian again. He’s incredibly dashing in that suit: white breeches hugging him in all the right places, maroon coat and vest not hiding the man’s impressive physique. Not to mention the man is painfully beautiful. Who is this?

“I thought the same, actually. This garden is private, though…”

Flustered, the man’s braid whips around behind him as he shakes his head, readying an apology.

“Forgive me, young man, I did not mean to intrude. You see, I was on my way to attend the birthday party of Prince Link when I was accosted on the road. I somehow made it here despite the brutality of my attack, and then got lost on the castle grounds.”

“You seem upset,” Link points out, having to bite back a grin. So this Hylian doesn’t know who he is…

“Please, don’t mind me.” The man waves away Link’s concern. “The whole ordeal was horrible and frightening, but I’m sure I’ll be all right. Everything works out in the end, don’t you think?”

Link takes a step closer, although he doesn’t know what possesses him to do so. This Hylian is an oddity, and that’s  **him** saying it. Those lively, gold eyes follow him with a friendly smile already blooming under them.

“Are you all right? You look fine to me.”

Link realizes what he’s said too late, but a pleasant laugh bubbles out of the other Hylian. It helps distract Link how his face heats up, how his stomach flips.

“I came out of the skirmish unscathed. I’m just surprised at my appearance, I supposed.” The Hylian holds out his arms to the side, twisting a bit at the hip to show his body off. “Do I really look all right?”

The question is genuine. There’s no lilt of pride or smugness in the man’s voice. Link takes the offer of openly appreciating the man’s form and eyes him up and down again. The slight darkening of the man’s brown cheeks doesn’t escape Link’s gaze, even in the moonlight of the garden. All this distracts Link’s from the man’s odd wording about his appearance.

“You do,” Link says, almost shy.

Arms dropping, the man sighs with a smile and says, “That’s a relief. Coming all this way only to look like a fool would be such an embarrassment. And it’s such a beautiful night.”

The strange Hylian glances around with wonder lighting up his eyes. The sight draws a wishful sigh out of Link.

“You are… I-I mean, it is!” Link’s shoulders hunch up by his ears at his mistake. The Hylian just smiles at him with a darker blush. Link sputters for a second before correcting himself. “It’s a beautiful night, yes.”

Gold eyes fall shut as the man chuckles a bit. They open again full of mirth and friendliness.

“Indeed.” He takes a step closer to Link, not quite casting him in shadow. “Might I have your name? I’d love to know the name of someone so kind and thoughtful.”

The Hylian holds out his left hand for Link to shake, fingers long and somehow gorgeous like the rest of him. Link nods like a fool and offers the man his left hand, too. He’s not used to being able to shake with it, given that most Hylians are right-handed. But the hand that takes his is warm and calloused in similar areas that Link’s is. Link acquired his from the sword and bow. If he could focus on anything but how stunning and warm this man is, he’d wonder how the man earned his callouses. Link tries to keep eye contact with this breathtaking Hylian, but shyness overtakes him, and Link drops his gaze to their hands. He hadn’t noticed the jewelry on the man’s wrists. Silver wraps around his thin wrists, and swirling patterns fill the space between two bands. There’s a similar piece around the man’s neck, almost like a choker. Link blinks up at him as their handshake slows until they’re just holding each other. The man’s fingers are long enough to drift past Link’s palm and graze the delicate inside of his wrist. Link jumps at that and drops the hand holding is like it burned him. Fighting the urge to fidget, Link stands up straight to introduce himself.

“My name is Link.” He shrinks down a bit and adds through a mumble, “Prince Link…”

A quiet laugh from the man isn’t what Link had expected. He’d expected maybe a scolding for not being forthcoming about his identity, or maybe the man falling over himself to apologize for something. But no, the Hylian just smiles at him with teeth that seem a little too white, a little too pointy. The warm hand that had held his reaches for him again, and Link freely gives his hand to the other Hylian. They don’t shake this time. Link shivers as the man’s thumb bumps over the bones in the back of his hand. They’re standing closer than ever, now, and Link finally gets the full view of those golden eyes staring down at him from under red locks of hair. A breath stutters out of Link as his skin comes alive and excites the little hairs on his body. His skin is almost too tight over him now, but he won’t look away from the Hylian that’s captivated him.

“How wonderful,” he says softly, voice dragged over gravel a bit. “I’m extremely fortunate to make your acquaintance, Prince Link. And so candidly, too.”

“Just Link,” he blurts out. “Don’t, um… You don’t have to bother with titles.”

It’s a bit forward to drop his title so immediately. But he’s never cared for people addressing him like that, and he doesn’t care for it now. His name spilling over this man’s lips is all he wants.

“A pleasure, Link. I am Sidon, the Z—”

But he stops himself right then, cutting off the rest of what he’d wanted to say. Link’s eyebrows come together as he watches Sidon throw a glance to the water pooling beside them. Link does the same and only finds their reflections. The hand holding his squeezes him, and Link directs his attention back to Sidon’s face.

“Sorry.” Sidon smiles at him. “Still a bit on edge. But, ah, my name is Sidon.”

Link dips his head on instinct and mumbles with a blush, “A pleasure to meet you, too.”

“I feel as though I arrived a bit late, hmm?” Sidon glances to the castle behind him. “How is everything so far? Enjoying yourself?”

Link winces.

“I hate this kind of thing. A birthday party is one thing, but…” Link sighs and slips his hand out of Sidon’s, although it feels like neither of them wants that. Link crosses his arms over his chest and complains, “But my parents expect me to use this time to socialize and find someone to marry. But I don’t want that.”

Sidon nods.

“I see. So you came out here, seeking some sanctuary from it all. Sorry that I’ve ruined that.”

Link shakes his head hard. Boldness possesses him, and he strikes out with both hands to hold one of Sidon’s.

“No, no! You didn’t ruin anything.” Link blushes under Sidon’s wide-eyed stare. He should probably release Sidon’s hand. He’s acting much too familiar with someone he’s just met—dropping honorifics, touching Sidon freely… But it’s a refreshing change of pace. And Sidon is so handsome and soft spoken… Link ducks his head down when it all becomes too much and blurts out, “Do you want to dance?”

Sidon’s hand twitches between both of his. Long fingers wrap around one of Link’s wrists and squeeze the bones hidden under pale skin. That draws Link’s gaze up, although he regards Sidon through his bangs. There’s a wide, pleasant smile on Sidon’s face showing off all his teeth again. Link’s heart beats wildly in his chest, and he has to bite his lower lip to stop a whine from squeaking out of him. What is he doing? He hates dancing! He hates these kinds of civilized pleasantries. But with Sidon’s hand caught between his, touching him gently… There’s just something about Sidon that soothes Link’s irritation for this whole event. He finds that he wants to dance with Sidon more than he wants to hide out here.

Sidon hums with his huge smile shrinking down into something coy and flirty. He nods before taking his hand back and gesturing towards the castle.

“That would be lovely. Shall we?”

Link tosses a glance over his shoulder. The loose hair in front of his ears jumps when he shakes his head.

“Not in there. I hate people watching me dance.”

Sidon nods and takes a step towards Link. They’re already so close that Link has no choice but to step back or out of the way. He chooses out of the way to avoid tripping and spilling himself on his ass in front of Sidon. But Sidon cups the jut of his elbow and coaxes him to follow. Link does so with only a little flutter of his heart. Many people in his life touch him on a daily basis, not that he enjoys it. Zelda and his parents are fine, but never strangers like this. Sidon is just… different somehow. Link hates that he can’t explain it to himself, but under the radiance of Sidon’s smile, it doesn’t matter. Sidon pulls them to the flat, white stones paved outside the ballroom. The windows and doors are thrown open, and the music spills out to this part of the garden. It’s loud enough for them to hear and find the poppy, waltz beat. Sidon positions Link in front of him and moves to take the lead. But he pauses just before his hands settle on Link’s hip and hand.

With a bashful smile and hair falling in his face, Sidon asks, “Would you like to lead?”

Lips parted, Link shakes his head and nudges his hip into Sidon’s waiting hand.

“No,” he whispers, mouth dry. “No, um… You lead.”

Large palms grip his hip and hand gently as Sidon takes him. Link’s free hand flies up to hold the thick bicep hidden under Sidon’s clothes. And if Link’s eyes widen a bit and he tosses a bewildered glance to said arm, Sidon says nothing about it. He only gives Link another dashing smile as they find the waltz’s beat and step in at the correct time. The platform they’re on in the garden is plenty wide for them to complete a diamond as they sway together. Their height difference almost makes this awkward, what with Sidon having to stare down at him and Link having to take wider steps to keep up. They stumble a few times, but at least Link doesn’t step on Sidon’s feet. He’d never been good at this, and Link bows his head as his blush turns from aroused to ashamed. But Sidon pulls him closer with a chuckle, breath tousling Link’s hair caught in a high ponytail.

“You’re doing wonderful, Link. Don’t look at our feet, just follow me.”

Humming, Link stares at the sashes and fine, silver chains adorning Sidon’s vest. It probably requires some help getting into and out of this getup. Link wishes his maids would let him dress alone. He only needs help with the shoes sometimes, if they’ve stuffed him into something that’s starchy and stiff. He’d snapped these clothes a few times to loosen them up. There’s nothing he could do to lessen the itch. The only things distracting him from it now are Sidon’s warm hands holding him as well as the back and forth of their dance. Sidon chuckles into his hair and steps out of line, twirling Link around when the waltz makes no room for such a thing. That kicks Link’s heart up, and he feels it pound in his fingertips, in his ears. Although they’re so red from a blush that he’s surprised he feels it at all. Sidon laughs a bit louder when he dips Link this time, again deviating from the waltz.

Sidon holds him there, bent over his front with a leg between his. Link blinks up at him while holding on and just blushes hotter and darker. Sidon is similarly red in the face, and it tickles Link to know he isn’t the only one. A gust of breath from Sidon’s laugh shifts Link’s bangs hanging in front of his eyes. Sidon rights them then and whirls them around the platform, leading them through the correct steps almost faster than Link can follow. His twinkling laughter fills the garden as they sway. Link doesn’t mind looking at Sidon when his eyes are pinched shut like this, mouth hung open as he laughs. Link gets a few chuckles in as his heart continues to thunder. He hopes Sidon doesn’t feel it where their hands are clasped tightly together. If Sidon makes a comment about it, Link decides he’ll blame it on their vigorous dance.

They wind down as they wander away from earshot of the music. Even the splashing from the fountain fades. Sidon slows them to a stop under the shade of a giant tree. It casts them in darker shadows as the boughs and leaves block out the moonlight. Light from the open windows behind Link casts a glow on Sidon’s face and eyes, making the gold shine even brighter. They’ve come to a stop, but Link’s body sways a bit. Sidon catches him around his waist, warmth bleeding through Link’s layers straight to his skin. Link further steadies himself with both hands flat on Sidon’s chest. He’s mindful of all the metal and silk draped across the Hylian’s front. Link’s heart wants to take flight from his body, and when Link presses a hand over Sidon’s, he finds Sidon in much the same condition. Link glances up from the spread of his hands and nearly knocks into Sidon’s nose. He’d ducked his head down to watch Link look at him. And now, caught in each other’s breathing space, the rush of their breaths filling Link’s ears, Link sees himself tilting his head just so to kiss Sidon.

But that’s not what happens. They realize their positions at the same time and step away from each other. Sidon clears his throat behind a hand while darting his gaze around the garden, looking anywhere but Link. Link just settles for staring at their feet. He hopes the darkness here covers up how red his face and ears are. While staring down, Link watches Sidon’s left hand fall from his mouth. It linger at his side for barely a second before reaching for Link again. Link meets him halfway and laces their fingers together. Sidon tugs him away from the platform and the light of the castle. Link swallows hard and follows Sidon just like he’d followed in their dance. Sidon sighs ahead of him and pulls Link to the base of the huge tree casting them into shadow. The ground is clear here, grass growing right up to the trunk. Sidon unwinds their fingers long enough to lower himself to the ground. Once there, he blinks up at Link through the dimness and offers his hand again, asking Link to sit with him. He does so, unable to break the spell Sidon cast on him.

Foregoing any sort of propriety or personal space, Link immediately leans on Sidon’s shoulder once he’s on the ground. He’s nervous to do so right up until Sidon loops an arm around him, pulling him closer. Link’s heart is in his throat as he tucks his shoulder under Sidon’s arm and slips down enough to rest his head on Sidon’s chest. No one has ever held him like this, and he’s never sought such closeness before. Childhood crushes and teenage fawnings were not for him. But there’s something about Sidon that makes him want this. Again, Link frowns when he can’t explain why. His frown melts away when Sidon’s fingers curl under his chin and tilt his head up. Link strains his neck to follow. He doesn’t want to sit up or disconnect all the places they’re pressed firmly together. Like this, their faces are even closer than before. Every freckle is bare for Link’s eyes in this dim light, every hair in Sidon’s eyebrows visible from here. Link shakes a bit and swallows hard to contain himself.

They’d been a second, a breath away from a kiss moments ago. This time they seize it, and Sidon draws Link up while tilting their heads just so. Link submits to it all. He’s never kissed someone seriously before, nothing past a quick peck on the lips he hadn’t wanted anyway. Link’s right hand is stuck between them, flat on the ground to steady him. The left flies to Sidon’s chest. His fingers twist in the maroon material of his vest, holding on as one kiss turns into two, to three, and many more. The grass below them gets a beating from their legs and feet as they scramble a bit to be closer. Link’s hand slips from Sidon’s chest at the first, shockingly new graze of tongue across his lips. His hand grabs at Sidon’s hip to find an anchor, but Sidon does him one better. Groaning against his mouth, Sidon uses all that muscle Link has felt under his clothes and rolls Link over his hip to straddle him. Link only squeaks a little when he lands on solid, powerful thighs. Sidon wastes no time in pulling Link flush to him by his wide hips. Stomach flipping harder than ever, Link trembles against Sidon’s sliding lips and flicking tongue while holding on around his neck.

They part long enough for Sidon to rasp, “Should I stop?”

Link dives back for more kisses rather than saying anything. The tree behind Sidon’s back is firm, and he needs it when Link begins to squirm in his lap. Link has no idea what he’s doing. But Sidon is warmth and muscles and hands that urge him to rock harder, roll his hips more. Every grind of their bodies together draws a high-pitched whine out of Link. Sidon’s ravenous mouth swallows most of them. Link doesn’t know what to do with his head, his lips, or his tongue. So he writhes against Sidon and just tries to copy him. A moan peals out of Sidon’s throat as Link tries to kiss him back, tries to trace the thin skin of Sidon’s lips like Sidon had done to him. Sidon must feel like Link has a decent rhythm going, because he slips a huge hand up Link’s spine to cup the back of his head. Link whines even louder at that and tugs at the white hair at the base of Sidon’s skull. It doesn’t come loose like his own hair does from their squirming around. Sidon wiggles a finger against the ribbon holding Link’s hair up and back. It comes loose with only a little tug, slipping from his silky hair and floating to the ground. Instantly, Sidon’s long fingers thread through Link’s hair, and he holds Link by the back of the head.

Sidon doesn’t force him harder or faster into their kisses like Link expects him to. There’s no pressure on his head, just the warmth and security of Sidon’s hand. If anything, their kisses slow some. Link’s blood calms with lighter swipes of Sidon’s tongue over his lips. They’re numb and buzzing from so much attention, but Link keeps them parted and pliant anyway. He doesn’t want to stop. He doesn’t want to come in his pants either, but stopping these kisses with Sidon isn’t in his plans. Link’s hips stutter a few more times against Sidon’s firm body before he stills. His lower back aches some from such vigorous activity. Link’s strength is in his arms from swordplay and his legs from running the same obstacle course as Hylian soldiers. He’s by no means out of shape, but he’s never done anything like this, and his muscles are unfamiliar with the motions. It’ll be a pleasant ache tomorrow when he wakes up and remembers this. Link forces his eyes open as their kisses return to chaste things. Sidon’s lips linger on his for a shorter and shorter amount of time. Sidon hums through the last kiss and separates from him with a wet sound caught between them. Link shivers and unwinds his fingers from Sidon’s hair, but he doesn’t pull away. He wants that closeness for as long as Sidon allows it.

Their faces are still near each other as they breathe in cool, night air. Link darts forward in a blink to press his own, final kiss to Sidon’s parted lips. It’s a shy, brief sort of thing. But Sidon smiles at him when it’s over, even though Link bows his head. Link’s shyness amuses Sidon to some degree. A deep chuckle shakes his chest, sending Link’s body to tremble where they’re still flush together. Sidon sits up straight under Link’s body and untangles his fingers from Link’s hair. But Link’s hand flies up lightning fast to capture Sidon’s wrist and keep him there. Sidon gives a satisfied hum before submitting to Link’s silent request. That done, Link returns his trembling arm to hold Sidon around the neck. Sidon’s brown skin is warm with a hint of sweat at the silver around his throat and the collar of his coat. Link’s fingers pass over the metal that’s just as warm as Sidon. His brain is calm enough to wonder why Sidon wears it and the bracelets at his wrists. Is there some meaning to it? And what part of Hyrule is Sidon from anyway?

Those thoughts fly out of Link when he relaxes in Sidon’s lap—finally—and rubs against something under him. In his head, of course he knows it’s an erection. But Sidon jumps too and stares down at their laps with confusion pinching his brow. Link slips his hands to hold Sidon’s shoulders and prepares to stand up. But the warm hand still at his hip squeezes the jut of bone hidden under his clothes, stopping Link in his tracks. Stomach flipping, Link glances at Sidon’s face through his bangs. There’s still confusion drawing his eyebrows together, but the expression has smoothed out some. Link isn’t sure why Sidon is confused—like he’s never done this, never had an erection before. But someone as beautiful and charming as Sidon must have experienced this before. It’s different for Link, who generally dislikes people and distances himself from them, avoiding deep feelings and the physical contact that usually follows. Curious, Link squirms on the hardness pressed to his ass and watches Sidon’s eyes fly open before slamming shut. Link doesn’t know what to make of Sidon’s reaction. When he does it a third time, Sidon bites out a moan and holds him hard enough by the hair and hip to hurt. Link goes still after that.

Sidon shudders under him before flattening his head to the tree behind him. Link’s thighs squeeze him around the hips, and Sidon cracks an eye open to smirk at him.

“Well, that was interesting. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Wary of brushing against Sidon’s hardon in his pants, Link sits up on his knees to shuffle closer.

“You didn’t.”

Sidon shrugs and amends his apology with, “Or scared you.”

“You didn’t.”

“I see. I only say so because the impression I got was that you’ve never…”

Sidon’s hands urge him to sit, which Link does. Sidon sucks in a breath as pressure returns to his erection, but Link doesn’t rub against him again. A trembling hand lifts from Link’s hip to fuss with the buttons at his throat. Link tilts his chin up to give Sidon room. He struggles with the three buttons that keep Link’s dress shirt under his coat and vest closed tight around his neck. But they give under Sidon’s slim fingers, almost like they just wanted to play hard to get. Sidon hums while still reclining against the tree and slips his hand under Link’s shirt, cupping the side of his throat. Link’s skin is just as warm and damp as Sidon’s after all those frantic, messy kisses. His hair cascading down around his ears and shoulders only traps the heat. Link’s mouth and lips dry out as he sweats. Link licks his lips to wet them and chase feeling back into them, but it’s a fruitless thing to do. It only draws Sidon’s electric eyes to his bruised lip. Link jumps in his arms again and remembers what they’d been talking about a minute ago.

“I haven’t,” Link admits. He spares a timid glance at Sidon’s wild eyes from under his bangs. Those eyes almost glow in the darkness. “I haven’t.”

Through his nose, Sidon sucks in a deep breath at Link’s confession. Why that knowledge arouses him further, Sidon doesn’t know. And neither does Link when Sidon rocks against him. Someone like him must be a bother to bed for the first time… Not that he’s about to lie down with Sidon right here! They don’t even know each other. Just met in fact! They may never meet again after tonight. That sours some of the haze in Link’s head as Sidon grinds against him. Sidon picks up on his change of mood immediately and stops. Link shivers and shakes his head while pawing at Sidon’s shoulders. They’ve tangled the silk and chains connected to his vest, but Link doesn’t think about that. He’s too busy thinking about never doing this again, never kissing someone as beautiful or gentle as Sidon again.

“You don’t… You don’t have to stop.”

The breath Sidon releases from his mouth is almost too loud for their close quarters. Link swallows hard and lifts his head to catch Sidon’s bright eyes. He means it. He doesn’t exactly want Sidon to shove him into the grass and bend him in half… But this is nice—Sidon’s hands on him, directing him where to go and how fast to do it. Link doesn’t care for authority that much. But when it’s something he wants—like Sidon—why not submit? Link blushes at that thought, and his ears turn down as they pink again. He hopes Sidon can’t see it in the dark. Sidon draws in a few, calming breaths while he holds Link still. Link wants his little rocking motions to pick up, wants to feel the press of something hot and new against his body. When Sidon continues to sit there and watch him through narrow, burning eyes, Link pouts and bears his weight down on what he wants. Sidon’s eyes flutter shut as he jerks up to sweeten the pressure of Link’s weight on him.

Permission granted, Sidon’s body moves under his. At the same time, Sidon coaxes Link to lean forward using the hand still on the back of his head. Link thinks their kisses will begin again, but Sidon has other ideas. Link clings to Sidon’s vest as he’s coaxed closer and closer. Lips and breath ghost across his ear. Sidon minds the sapphire stud in his lobe and kisses the thin skin under it instead. Link jerks hard in his lap, grinding himself into Sidon’s pelvis. Link bites back his needy moan rather than blow Sidon’s ear off with it. How could he know that spot would elicit such a reaction? Link is a trembling, moaning mess as Sidon tracks wet kisses down from his ear, over the curve of his jaw, and finally to his neck. Sidon’s fingers crawl through Link’s loose hair to pull the strands away from his neck. Sidon had already taken care of the shirt blocking him from what he wants. Link’s coat and vest don’t offer much coverage around his pale throat, but his dress shirt had. But with the first three buttons popped open and the material spread apart, Link’s skin is bare.

“Ahhh!” Link cries at the first press of lips and teeth to his neck. “What… What are you…?”

“Should I stop?” Sidon murmurs against the skin he’s already wet with his mouth. “Tell me, and I will.”

“No, no,” Link pleads quietly into Sidon’s hair. He tugs on Sidon’s vest and shakes when Sidon grins against his neck. “I didn’t know…”

Sidon shushes him and presses a few more biting kisses to Link’s neck.

“I won’t hurt you, Link. I won’t leave any marks.”

That idea gets Link’s head swimming though. He’s never thought about that, someone biting him hard enough to leave a mark. Or maybe it’s the sucking that pools blood under the skin? He isn’t sure, but he wants that. It’s best that they don’t, though. Marks will just arouse questions from anyone who sees them. Link bites back a whine and nods. To give Sidon plenty of room, Link cranes his head in the other direction and drops his shoulder. Sidon murmurs a word of gratitude into his hair before picking up where he’d stopped. Link gasps and bottles up moans in his chest at each nip of sharp teeth until his chest is full of them. Link is sure his ears will never return to their normal color as he drowns in the wet sound of Sidon kissing him, sucking lightly at his neck. No one has ever done this to him before, and each new patch of skin kissed and bit amps up the electricity tingling along his skin. Link tries not to thrash so that Sidon’s hands don’t slip on him. Sidon still keeps his hair out of the way with one hand while the other directs their bodies to rub together below. This back and forth is more familiar to Link’s muscles, used to such strain while training with soldiers. Link rips a moan out of Sidon, right in his ear, with a slow slide up his stomach before dropping his ass back down. Link smiles with his eyes tightly shut, happy that he did that to Sidon.

“Mmm, do that again,” Sidon breathes in his ear. “Just like that.”

Link obliges him and rubs himself harder down and against Sidon’s body. The thought occurs to Link that the rocking and bucking they’re doing is probably a mockery of them having sex. It would probably look something like this, feel something like this without clothes in the way. Link clings to Sidon’s chest as images fill his mind. Of course he’s a healthy, eager 23-year old who has needs and fantasies. He just doesn’t include himself in them. It’s less embarrassing to just imagine two people together without adding himself to the mix. But now, writhing in Sidon’s lap and shuddering under his teeth, Link imagines them together. Playing in soldier barracks hasn’t offered Link’s innocence any protection from sex or the ways of men. He’s seen two men together and the multiple ways they give and take pleasure. Most of Link’s curiosity lies in how Sidon—or any man for that matter—would feel inside him. It must hurt. But from the times he’s watched, that can’t be so. Sidon would be gentle and hold him close while rocking into him, just like they’re rocking now. Sidon groaning softly in his ear draws Link out of that red-tinged thought, though. Sidon has slowed down under him and lessens the pinch of his teeth at Link’s neck.

“Are you all right?” Sidon pants against the moisture he’s left behind on Link’s throat. “You went still…”

Link relaxes against Sidon’s chest and stops the little rocking of his hips. He’s ruined it all.

“Sorry.” The apology is lost to Sidon’s red and white hair, but his long ear picks it up anyway. “I was… I was thinking. About you and… me.”

Sidon chuckles against his ear and kisses the shell before cuddling Link to him.

“That’s all right. So long as I wasn’t hurting you.” He sighs. “We should probably stop anyway.”

Link sits up despite the grip Sidon has in his hair and shakes his head wildly.

“No, I don’t want you to leave, don’t—”

Sidon silences his worries with a messy kiss surging against his lips. Link’s eyes slip shut under such passion, and he leans into the kiss to give all he has. His lips are still sore from all the other kisses, but Link parts them and moans around Sidon’s tongue anyway. They separate with Link’s tongue still trying to return Sidon’s affection. His mouth slams shut hard enough to click his teeth. But Sidon lifts an eyebrow at him and smirks like he’s done something silly. Link eyes the moisture shining on Sidon’s lips. Whose spit is that? Sidon’s? His? Maybe both…

“I didn’t say anything about leaving, Link,” Sidon teases him. “I just think it best if we… calm down a little. The time lost as we take care of any mess we make could be used sitting here and talking, yes? We wouldn’t want to do anything regrettable.”

Link’s fingers are still twisted and caught in Sidon’s vest. He nods at Sidon’s words and smoothes out the wrinkles he’d caused.

“Do you want me to get up?”

Sidon guides his head back down to rest on a shoulder. Once Link is there and gives no sign that he’ll move, Sidon wraps that arm around Link’s back to hold him. Link keeps his hands and arms between them, not wanting to block his mouth from breathing or knock his hands against bark behind Sidon. Besides, this way his whole body shifts with every breath Sidon takes.

“No. You’re fine right where you are. This… feels good. Right.”

Maybe Sidon feels the same way since running into him—that he can’t explain why being near Sidon is better and different from the norm, that he doesn’t mind all this contact and talking. Link sighs against Sidon’s coat collar and nods.

“It does,” Link agrees. “I don’t… I don’t really like people. It’s part of the reason why I hate parties like this. I have to be around them and talk to them.”

“Mmm, I’m sorry about that. I’m not in the habit of doing things I don’t want, but I have that luxury.”

Link shrugs.

“It’s different with you, for some reason. Normally, when I heard you talking, I would have turned around and walked away, found somewhere else to hide. But…”

Sidon chuckles into his hair and squeezes him.

“But you didn’t. And now we’re here. It’s been an interesting and amazing hour or so. Not what I expected when I started the journey here.”

Link’s thoughts wander back to all the people who had made that same journey, though. And true to what Zelda said, some of them came to be seen in Hyrule Castle, probably in his presence. But maybe there had been genuine interest in his hand amongst the crowd? Link’s earlier anger at the situation boils in his stomach again, and Link presses a frown into Sidon’s shoulder. He won’t marry a stranger or someone just out to marry into royalty. He won’t! Sidon senses his tension and rubs his back, other arm loose around his hips in case Link needs space or wants to leave. Link wouldn’t mind Sidon holding him tightly, and he squeezes himself harder to Sidon’s body to try and communicate that. Sidon’s nose and lips brush his ear when Sidon turns his head, and Link shivers when the arm around his hips tightens just like he’d wanted. Link’s back heaves under Sidon’s hand as he draws in a calming breath. Sidon would understand his frustration. He’s kind and thoughtful, even if he doesn’t have the same problem.

“I’m supposed to be searching for someone to marry,” Link reminds Sidon of his situation. “And I would if I had, like, a childhood crush or if I were dating someone. But I don’t and I’m not. I don’t want to marry a stranger.”

Sidon nods against his hair.

“But Link, your parents wouldn't make you pick someone and marry them on the spot like a cucco for the slaughter. There are courting rituals and processes. It’s a slow thing, really. It could take years, plenty of time for you to get to know someone.”

Link slumps against Sidon’s chest, feeling hopeless.

“I guess I just wanted to fall in love the normal way? Not because I had to?”

A kiss to his ear precedes Sidon’s lowly murmured, “I understand. I have an older sister, and she did it the way you want. She’d loved someone for a long time and they in return.” Sidon chuckles and shrugs when he pauses. “I’ve been left to my own devices a bit, no pressure from my father or others to settle down and do anything. But I do want a love like my sister’s. It must be terrible to try and fall for someone you don’t know. I suppose that’s why I came here.”

Link perks up at that. Sidon had wanted to come here and meet him?

“If not you, then someone here would perhaps take interest in me. I’m not too hard on the eyes, am I?”

Sidon asks it as a joke, probably to lighten the mood. And Link responds to the joke with a giggle buried in Sidon’s neck.

“You’re… very handsome,” Link admits.

“Thank you.” A kiss pecks at his ear. “That actually means something coming from you. I’ve never met someone so lively or adorable.”

Link snorts and nudges his forehead against Sidon’s shoulder.

“I mean it! I assume your prowess in combat and with the sword is a sight to behold, too. Surely you would be a knight if you weren’t a prince.”

“Maybe,” Link says with a shrug. “I like fighting. It’s fun. It’s better than playing at being a member of the court. That’s not me.”

“I understand,” Sidon groans. “Being cooped up with advisors and going blue in the face from reading and signing every paper they put in front of you. If I could fall asleep in front of them, I would.”

Sidon’s statement strikes Link as odd. It’s not the first thing Sidon has said that doesn’t add up. Link sits up and readies his dry lips to ask Sidon to explain. An angry voice echoes through the trees and stops him.

“I know you’re out here, Link! You’re being incredibly rude to your guests!”

Zelda.

Link groans and presses his face back to Sidon’s neck. She won’t venture into the gardens on a wild cucco chase for him—she’d learned that lesson the hard way years ago. But Sidon still squirms under him, alarmed at her calls.

“She won’t find us,” Link grumbles. “She just knows I can hear here. She must have seen which way I left the party. Damn…”

Zelda’s voice eventually rings through the garden a second time.

“You have five minutes to make an appearance to your guests, or I’m sending the guards to look for you.”

And she will. He plays dirty when he runs from her, vaulting over fences and bursting through hedges. But the guards have nothing but time and strength to track him down. Link sighs and waits for her voice to stop before sitting up. It’s just as dark as when they sat down, but Sidon’s eyes still shine in the night. It’s how Link leans forward to slide his lips across Sidon’s and hum against him for one more kiss. Sidon lets out a little sound too, and Link saves it close to his heart. That should worry him, being so enamored with Sidon and they’ve only just met. But Link is at the point tonight where he’s done fighting this strange force that pulls them together. Sidon is kind, funny, and beautiful. Link wants to see him again.

When they’re on their feet again, standing near the fountain where this all started, Link says at much.

“After tonight, I want to see you again.” Link holds Sidon’s hands in his and has to gather all his courage to say this to him. “There’s something about you that… that I guess I can’t resist? I’m sorry if that sounds stupid, but I want to know more about you.”

“I feel it, too,” Sidon says quietly. His eyes are still bright, wild things even in the moonlight. “I would love to see you again, Link.”

Link opens his mouth to ask how to contact Sidon, where to send an invitation to the castle. The wind picks that moment to whip up, tossing their hair and clothes around. Link’s hair is still loose from the ribbon Sidon had gently tugged away. The strands block Link’s view. However, they do not block water blown by the wind splashing on his clothes. Link jumps away from the fountain and hisses at the cold water soaking the left side of his body. Shoving hair out of his face, Link glares at the wet spots blooming along his clothes. Rolling his eyes, Link looks up to check if Sidon’s clothes are wet now, too. What he finds is difficult to comprehend.

He’s seen a Zora before. They’re incredibly strong and prideful in their looks and their silver. They’re no stranger than the Gorons, Rito, or Gerudo. But he’s never seen one this close or one this… happy? The Zora before him stares at his hands with the biggest smile Link has ever seen. Whipping around, the Zora grasps the edge of the fountain and stares at his reflection. Link gets a good look at all that muscle bulging under red skin, the blue and yellow fins, and the huge tail dangling from the back of the Zora’s head. It has a white underbelly, exactly like Sidon’s hair… And the fins at his shoulders, elbows, and hips are exactly like the ruffles on Sidon’s clothes… The Zora before him chooses that moment to turn back around, still smiling widely, and snatches one of Link’s hands.

“Oh Link, this is wonderful! The water from this fountain changed me back! I’m so happy, oh thank the goddess…”

Link stares at… Sidon? The voice is right. And the coloration of the Zora’s body makes sense, if Link sort of translates it all into clothes… What’s telling is the way those gold eyes look at him, so friendly and open. Link takes a deep breath and steps closer to the Zora. Yes, this must be Sidon. None of this really makes sense, but he knows this is Sidon’s true form.

“Were you… a Zora the whole time? Sidon?”

Sidon is much, much taller than him, now. Before, Link’s head had been level with the Hylian’s breastbone. Now… Link stretches up on his feet, reaching for Sidon’s jaw. But it’s still a few inches away, and that’s with Sidon stooping down some to take his hand. Sidon just smiles sadly at him and sinks to a knee, allowing Link the caress he’d wanted to give.

“Yes. I’m sorry if my appearance before misled you. I’d wanted to introduce myself as the Zora Prince, but it didn’t make sense at the time.” Sidon tosses a glance to the water where Link had found him. “I was fretting over my appearance when I saw you looking at me. I was attacked on the road to the castle by a strange boy in a mask. He changed me into the form you saw, but I hadn’t fully realized until arriving here and looking at my reflection. I am… I’m sorry, Link.”

“You’re a prince,” Link murmurs, almost not catching the rest of Sidon’s explanation. Poor dear, probably scared witness at the sight of himself transformed into a Hylian. But Link’s brain is stuck on Sidon’s status in life. Link shakes himself and blurts out, “What… What are you sorry about?”

Sidon bows his head—the wide crest of a shark hiding much of his face, now. Looking at it, Link understands why Sidon’s Hylian hair had seemed so… odd. The tail explains the bi-colored hair, too.

“I feel as though I’ve misled you somehow. But please know, what I said before is the truth. I came seeking friendship, if not with you then someone else.” Sidon lifts his head and blinks at Link, truly remorseful for what’s happened, even though he’s done nothing wrong. “You’re an amazing young man, Link. I hope you still entertain the same feelings of closeness you had a moment ago. I wish to know you as well.”

Link nods, still unsure about Sidon’s apology. He doesn’t feel misled or lied to. He understands why Sidon hadn’t exactly told him who he was. If a prince were here, of course they’d want to get to know him just to marry another royal. At least, that’s how Link sees it. He hadn’t planned on spending time with any of the royal children the other races had sent anyway. That’s not what he’d wanted. Sidon is the sort he wants—someone genuine and interested in him for things other than his royal blood. Link offers Sidon’s sad eyes a reassuring smile. He steps closer and cover’s Sidon huge hand with his free one. Sidon has both of his now, and the added touch brightens Sidon’s expression. Link swallows hard as nerves stir his stomach up again. His blush is visible in the moonlight, and he knows Sidon can see it. Link cranes his head up and to the side to accommodate Sidon’s crest and presses a little kiss to his lips. It’s different this way, since Sidon is bigger all the way around than before. His lips are softer too. All of his skin is softer. Link’s fingers twitch on the back of his clawed hand, petting Sidon’s oddly smooth skin. They separate after that kiss, but Link shuffles closer to stay near Sidon’s body.

“I’m not upset. I’m… I’m glad I didn’t know you were a prince. I wouldn’t have spoken with you, if I’d known.” Link draws his gaze down while explaining, unable to look at Sidon’s golden eyes that want to swallow him. “I would have assumed you only wanted to talk to me because we’re both royalty. I don’t like fakeness like that. If that makes sense.”

“It does,” Sidon reassures him softly. “You don’t like people. So why would you like people being deliberately fake to you? I understand completely.”

Link nods and tightens his hands over Sidon’s. Sidon squeezes him in return.

“I should go inside,” Link suggests. He gathers his courage again and tilts his head up to find another dashing smile already on Sidon’s handsome face. Strange how Sidon’s transformed Hylian features still fit on this Zora face—still make him beautiful. “Join me? The night is young.”

Sidon’s smile turns flirty, looking much the same on his real face as it had on his Hylian one. His eyes still sparkle the same.

“It is, and so are we. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Slow and steady.”


End file.
